Here are some tips to help you bring out your own personal magic - and feel more comfortable around strangers.

Take stock of yourself: physical appearance, energy, rate of speech, pitch and tone of your voice, animation and gestures, expressiveness of eyes, ability to hold the interest of others. Other people form impressions about you based on all these factors.

Be yourself. The trick is to consistently be you. The most effective people never change character form one situation to another.

Use your eyes. Whether you're talking to one person or 100, always look at them. Make sure your eye contact and smile are gentle and comfortable.

Listen before you leap. You can't learn anything when you're talking. When you're at a meeting, party or interview, stop to absorb what's going on.